An important win in Vitoria!
Olympiacos beat Baskonia in Spain 72-62 and returned to winning.
Playing a good defensive game and efficiently moving the ball, the ‘reds’ built a safety +11 net from the start (7-18 at 7’). However, they were not able to hold on to it. Turnovers and bad choices, combined with the good shooting percentages the home team was having from the perimeter, resulted in the Basques getting ahead with the score (21-20, at 14’). Although Olympiacos continued sparsely scoring – mainly with Kostas Sloukas – managed mainly thanks to their solid defense going to the locker rooms for the half time break with a +3 lead (29-32).
In the beginning of the 3rd quarter, the ‘reds’ once again upped their performance, went with good decisions and got a +8 difference (31-39). Running a partial 6-0, Baskonia closed in to two points (37-39), but Sasha Vezenkov and Kostas Papanikolaou got to strike from the three point line and steadily kept Olympiacos in the driver’s seat (44-50 at 30’). However, the hosts replied in the same fashion. With three unanswered threes the Basques turned the tables in no time and got ahead 53-50 (at 32’).
Giorgos Bartzokas’ players were quick to reply with a 10-0 of their own (55-60), but the Spanish team once again leveled the game (60-60) at 37’. But it was the last time… Playing defense worthy of a seminar and led in offense by Sasha Vezenkov and Tyler Dorsey, Olympiacos ran a new 10-0 and sent the margin to 10 points (60-70), hence deciding the game once and for all.
The quarters: 13-18, 29-32, 44-50, 62-72.
